They're full of unique items and
the workers at this small stores pride themselves on one thing, “service,
service, service,” said Evoke Style owner Sandra Dollard. “I mean anybody
can get online, but to get that right fit to get that right color” you
need to shop small business.

“I think there's always going to
be a need for them [small businesses], people like to see the things before
they buy them and that's what they can do here,” said Murphy.

The Toy Maker in Albany has providing that experience for 18
years.

“This toy store kind of meant
something special to me,” said John Robert Graham. “Because it had
smaller toys that I couldn't get at a big store before.”

John Robert Graham can remember coming to The Toy Maker when
he was just waist high.

“So, I would run back there and I
would look, and be like ‘mom, mom, mom, can I have this?' and she would say
‘wait until Christmas,'” said Graham.

He was overcome by the small business atmosphere.

“Here [at The Toy Maker] it's more
family, they actually get what you want,” said Graham.

“A lot of people say they don't
like going to the big stores, they like shopping locally, and it's always been
that way,” said Murphy.

But these locally owned stores depend on the holiday season
for profit.

“If we don't have a good December,
then it really makes it hard for the next year,” said Murphy.

That's why Small business Saturday
is critical to keep these stores afloat.

“Last year was one of our biggest
days of the month,” said Dollard. “Coming out on that day, really shows
that people do care about buying local.”

Small Business Saturday takes
place across the entire state of New York.